


Mister Plays Matchmaker

by shichan_DFKink (shinchansgirl)



Category: Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: Complete, Gen, Kink Meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-26
Updated: 2011-05-26
Packaged: 2017-10-19 19:46:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/204550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinchansgirl/pseuds/shichan_DFKink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Mister gets into trouble, like runs out into traffic and is almost hit by a car, something like that. Harry panics and Marcone saves the day.<br/>(Doesn't actually get to the match-making.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mister Plays Matchmaker

I had been unaware that the monster of a cat Harry calls his own had been able to get hurt, but that was what I found on the steps to one of offices I frequented. The animal was hissing at anyone who got near, but a few good security guards were gently shooing people away and no one had called animal control yet.

Harry really needed to be the one to do this, but I had been unable to contact him when I heard the news. Why the animal had turned up near one of my offices, I don’t know, but he had and now it was up to me to do what I could.

I approached the animal carefully, and while my men watched warily they didn’t protest.

The cat – if that was what he was – didn’t hiss at me, or seem to particularly mind. He watched me for a few moments, and then turned his attention back to the passers-by on the street.

I inspected him as much as I could without touching him, and then reached out a hand to scratch his ears. He made a soft sound, not something expected from such a large creature, and leaned into the touch. I’d like to say all thirty pounds of him did, but at the moment the animal was unable to stand comfortably.

“Boss?” Mr. Hendricks asked, his eyes on the street.

“Call a vet,” I told him. “The animal appears to have a broken leg and several minor scratches. He needs to be cared for. Karls, would you make certain Mister Dresden is contacted, and told that his cat has been injured? Be sure to give him this address, so that he doesn’t attempt to destroy another of our establishments. Hernandez, I’ll need you to contact accounting and have the charges approved for whatever assistance the animal needs; unfortunately my secretary will be unable to make it to the office today. She’s doing some outside work.”

“Think Dresden’s caught wind of that, too?” Mr. Hendricks asked.

“It would certainly explain why we were unable to reach him earlier, but no. She informed me that this errand ran slightly outside his area of expertise.”

I looked towards the cat, and wondered for a moment how this would work. I wouldn’t normally pick up any animal, much less one of this size and weight. They were unpredictable, and thirty pounds of hurt and angry cat could be painful.

He was watching me. Then, slowly, he stood and wobbled over to stand awkwardly between my legs and lean against me.

Instruction enough, unless I missed my mark. I would not be one to argue with such a cat, obviously more intelligent than the average housecat. It might have had something to do with being with Harry for so long, or it might have been due to some magical quality it possessed before meeting Harry. Either that or the cat was simply smart. Either way, I gathered it up carefully and carried him inside.

The workers who didn’t scramble out of my way as I walked through the halls stared at me in absolute shock, save one. A young girl I’d hired to help out the cleaning staff, who’d grown up enough to move into the brothels and firmly turned down the offer. I’d given her a raise for that, and she’d never forgiven me. She took one look at the cat and muttered, loud enough for me to hear, “It figures he’d have a monster for a pet.”

I made a mental note that it was time to give her another raise. It was good for workers to have some bite. It was not at all because she reminded me a little bit of Harry Dresden.

 

\-----

  
As I somewhat expected, twenty minutes after the message had finally been delivered to Harry he was bursting into the room and sending the lights flickering. “The hell did you do to my cat?” he shouted. His eyes were slightly wild, and he was sweating, as if he had run.

Luckily, the vet had already left. Harry looked terrifying. “I’m uncertain how he came to be in this condition,” I said, “however the veterinarian has concluded that he will recover well enough with time. He was given shots to prevent rabies and infections, and a vitamin shot to boost his recovery. He has a broken leg, which has been casted, and several other minor injuries.”

“ _How_?” Harry demanded, already looking the animal over himself and giving in to the demands for attention the large cat was showing.

“Again, I am uncertain. The veterinarian discovered extensive bruising around the break; he concluded that the leg might have been trapped by something and that the break came as your cat attempted and succeeded at removing itself from the situation.”

“That seems rather far-fetched.”

“I thought so as well; the injuries seem much more consistent with some form of abuse.”

Harry shook his head. “Who would mess with Mister?”

“Someone very unfortunate,” I answered, amused. “I imagine they came out looking far worse than he did.”

Harry nodded, still running his hands through the animals fur in a gentle, probing fashion that ‘Mister’ was certainly enjoying.

It was amazing, how much care and love he had for an animal he let wander around free. If Mister had not found his way to my offices… he would have been in much worse shape indeed. Not many are kind to injured animals in this city, particularly one this large.

“There a painkillers he can take every few hours,” I said. “I’ve already given him a dose, though he appears much more coherent than expected.”

“Mister’s like that,” Harry said, seemingly now satisfied as he stood and turned to face me. “What do I owe you?”

I had expected this. The vet wasn’t going to be cheap – not for a house call, not for an animal that size, and not for everything he’d needed to do on-site instead of at his office. I’d been displeased that he hadn’t suggested or attempted to take the animal for x-rays, but he seemed competent enough otherwise. And Harry would without doubt follow up to make certain the animal was okay. “You refuse to take my money,” I said, reviewing things quickly in my mind. Harry wouldn’t work for me, and would likely accuse me of foul play no matter what. He would despise being in my debt, but he would be closer to me. He would feel the need to reimburse me. “I don’t see why I should take yours if you refuse to take mine.”

He gave me a funny look. “Then what do you want?”

I leaned back against my desk, and looked at the animal who was laying on several comfortable blankets, one leg in a bright pink cast, watching me. What did I want? Him, plain and simple, but I couldn’t have that. There were several reasons I couldn’t have that, though none of them were coming to mind. “Join me for dinner tomorrow night,” I found myself saying. “And tell me about magic.”

  
“You have Gard for that.”

“Miss Gard will tell me what she pleases, and what she believes I need to know in order to reach her own goals. A second explanation from a different source might yield different information.”

“I can’t tell you everything, either.”

I smiled. “Do you not question every witness you can find when you are on a case, Mister Dresden?”

“Of course,” he said, looking a bit startled. He wasn’t very good at hiding things – not at lying, and not at concealing those emotions he wore on his sleeve.

“And you continue to question them even when they’re hiding something, or don’t know the whole story?”

“Well, yeah, and I see where this is going,” he answered, sullenly. The look on his face was almost a pout. “I didn’t say it was a bad idea, just pointing out that you already had a better source of information.”

“I like to keep my possibilities open. Shall I have Mr. Hendricks pick you up, or will you be driving yourself?”

He turned around and, with a little difficulty, picked up the cat. “I’ll drive myself, thanks. Have someone call me with the details.”

I almost told him that he could stay if he wanted, but I bit back the comment. He wouldn’t appreciate it. Instead I told him: “You’re forgetting the medicine.” I took the time to walk it over to him and put it in his pocket; as always, the kindness went unnoticed as he shouldered the door open and let himself out with only a distracted “oh, right, painkillers.” He was much too focused on the cat to notice anything else.

It was unnervingly pleasing to watch.


End file.
